Page 57

“We should probably head back,” Hunter muttered, clearly not wanting to move after we’d spent the past thirty minutes either talking or him between my legs.

The fire was dying down, its glow flickering low as reality crept back in—the ball, the competition announcements.

I nodded, smoothing out my dress and trying to adjust myself so I didn’t look like I’d just—God.

My hair was a lost cause as I raked my fingers through its curls, anyway, hoping it looked somewhat presentable. By the time we slipped back into the ballroom, the warm lights and loud chatter crashed over me, making me wish I was back in the quiet woods with Hunter.

Marnie was straight away in my face, pulling me back from Hunter. “Where the hell have you been?” she hissed. “I looked everywhere!”

I glanced back at Hunter, his eyes on me even as Silas and Brandon joined him.

“Oh,” Marnie muttered, realization dawning on her. “Oh, Grace, don’t tell me you...”

I groaned. “Marnie—”

“Nope! Just because I said I’m with you for anything you need doesn’t mean I want details of your sexcapades.”

Before I could even try to defend myself, Nadael’s voice rose above the crowd, and everyone stilled.

“Attention, everyone!” she called, standing gracefully on a podium, her silver gown glinting in the light. “If you could all please remain where you are. The competition announcements are about to begin!”

The room quieted, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Veronica standing alone, her expression distant and almost sad.

I thought about Lucas, and my throat tightened.

She must be missing him so much.

I nudged Marnie. “Come on.”

Marnie shot me a look the moment she realized where I was heading, but she followed anyway—albeit reluctantly. She knew just as well as I did, that when no one else, not even our own roommates, had come to her womanly defense... Veronica had.

We sidled up next to her. She didn’t look at us, but the slight shift in her posture told me she didn’t mind the company.

Nadael then cleared her throat. “As you all know, the Ascension Competition tests our finest Ascendants’ strength, skill, and intelligence.

For a Healer, this is their chance to show their Ascendant’s motto: Restoration, Life, Purity.

” She took her time, looking at each and every person around her.

“For a Messenger, their ability to use Communication, Speed, Telepathy. You all have a role, and now is the time to prove that.”

Marnie squeezed my arm, her excitement palpable compared to how my stomach was in knots.

“...This year’s competitors have been carefully selected by the Council after weeks of preparation and assessing your performances.” Nadael began to unroll the parchment she had in her hands with dramatic slowness. “First, the Healers .”

She then spoke carefully as she listed names until—

“Marnie Lewis.”

Marnie gasped beside me, clutching my hand until I was sure it’d fall off. “Did she just...”

I grinned, nodding for her to go on, and she looked at me as if she might faint. I nudged her forward and felt immense pride as I watched her walk up to Nadael, shake her hand and stand beside other Healers.

Marnie looked at the crowd, finding me beside Veronica, and waved so enthusiastically that I laughed.

Nadael then continued blurting out names from other sectors, five from each group, before she moved on to the final one.

“For the Warriors... Hunter Cain.”

I glanced toward Hunter, who didn’t react as applause broke out. Everyone knew he would make it. It was a given.

“Silas Dunn.”

Silas let out a sharp breath, and Veronica tensed beside me.

“Sarah Danvers,” Nadael continued to call out.

“Brandon Tucker.”

He grinned, puffing out his chest and I smiled, clapping as he walked past me. Silas patted his back as he joined them, and once the crowd had settled again, Nadael rolled the parchment lower.

She paused.

Her eyes skimmed the piece of paper again, but the hesitation stretched too long.

The room murmured, whispers rippling through the Ascendants, wondering what was taking her so long to say the last name.

I frowned and glanced at Veronica, who seemed to care less about this moment than everyone else inside the room.

As I looked back at Nadael, her fair skin had turned an even lighter shade of white before she uttered, “Grace Martin.”

Silence.

The name barely registered.

Wait.

What?

Every head turned to look at me.

Marnie slapped a hand over her mouth while Eden’s face lit up from the other side of the hall. But Joe... Joe was storming toward Nadael, his voice low as he leaned in and whispered something to her.

I looked at Hunter only to see he had gone pale. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his eyes darkening, refusing to even look in my direction.

Nadael cleared her throat and forced a brittle smile that Joe—not even Hunter—could fake. “Grace Martin, if you could please join the others.”

My legs moved, but they didn’t feel like mine. Each step forward felt heavy, like I was wading through water. The silence in the room pressed in from all sides, thick with judgment. Eyes followed my every move, and by the time I reached the others, I was nearly gasping for air.

I wanted to turn and run away but couldn’t as I climbed the steps to stand beside the others. I glanced toward Hunter, silently begging him to look at me.

But he didn’t.

My stomach clenched, and I forced my watery gaze on everyone else as Nadael’s voice rose again.

“Congratulations to all of you who have been chosen for the Ascension competition!”

Scattered applause followed, the noise feeling distant as everything blurred, and my legs trembled.

I couldn’t concentrate. I was barely hanging on by a thread as Nadael began to speak about what would proceed next.

We would receive a letter through our dorms ranging from instructions to informing us of a time we had to appear for the competition.

She did not specify when that would be; she just said to be prepared at all times.

I moved to step down the moment it was over, but Eden was suddenly in front of me, beaming. “Grace! I knew you could do it! Ascendant or not, the Council clearly saw potential.”

They didn’t at first, I wanted to say, but my eyes just scanned the hall for Hunter instead.

I barely mumbled a thank you before Joe was in front of me, his expression hard.

“You need to give up your spot,” he snapped.

I blinked. “What?”

“This competition isn’t for humans. The Council clearly weren’t thinking straight when they put you on that list.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll have to speak with them—”

“If she was chosen, then that means she was worthy in the Council’s eyes,” Eden defended, and Joe’s glare sharpened.

I stepped between them, thankful that Eden saw enough potential in me to argue. But I didn’t want her to get in trouble with Joe—not when he was like this. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” I said to him. “To prove that a non-Ascendant could be one without the title?”

He didn’t answer.

This was more about Joe still wanting to protect me even after telling me he knew he couldn’t. He was afraid. He was always afraid for me.

Still, I pushed past him, knowing that I no longer wanted to hear it. Ever since coming here, it was always the excuse he’d give me.

What I needed to do was find Hunter.

I glanced around the hall, spotting as people swarmed around Marnie, congratulating her and other Ascendants. But when Marnie’s eyes found mine, the joy on her face faltered. Her brows knitted together in concern, and she tilted her head as if silently asking, are you okay?

I shook my head quickly, but I didn’t wait to see her reaction as I turned on my heel, and my legs moved before my mind could catch up, half walking, half running toward the exit.

The cool air of the hallway hit me as I came out through the doors. I paused for a split second at the threshold, my heart pulsing against my chest as I scanned the corridor.

I took a left.

It wasn’t a decision so much as a pull, an instinct deep in my chest guiding me forward.

My heels clattered loudly against the marble floor, and I didn’t care.

I didn’t even care when the sharp stone walls scraped against the delicate fabric of my dress, snagging and ripping at the threads.

I didn’t care that the noise of the ballroom faded behind me, and I was swallowed by the cold silence of empty hallways and an even emptier canteen.

Call it intuition, but I knew if Hunter had gone anywhere, it wouldn’t be back to his dorm or the training grounds, and especially not anywhere crowded.

I approached the canteen kitchen and made my way to the hidden entrance of the armory. My hand skimmed along the familiar groove in the wall, finding the hidden hatch before the stone shifted with a low groan, and I stepped inside.

I was right.

He was in the armory all alone as I took the first steps down the stairway. He leaned forward slightly, bracing himself on one of the weapon racks, his shoulders tight.

The first thing that fell from my lips was, “Why did you walk away?”

He slowly looked at me, but the usual warmth in his eyes had turned cold. Just like the first time we had met.

“The competition is dangerous, Grace.” He shook his head, more at himself than me. “You shouldn’t be in it.”

There was a crack in my chest. It was the beginning of something I didn’t like. “I thought... I thought you, of all people, would be proud.”

Hunter’s expression tightened, but he didn’t say anything.

I bit the inside of my cheek. It hurt, but it kept me from blurting out something I’d regret. “Maybe this is a good thing. How things are changing around here. How maybe a human can—”

“The competition isn’t what you think it is, Grace. You might not even make it past the first part without getting hurt.”

The crack in my chest grew.

“Oh.” My voice came out smaller than I wanted. “Wow. And here I thought things had changed. That you... never mind.”

He opened his mouth, like he wanted to explain, but nothing came.

Frustration swelled inside my throat. “What’s the real reason you don’t want me to do the competition? Because it’s clearly not about whether you care if I get hurt or not.”

His eyes flashed with something that resembled anger and fear mixed in one. “Of course, I fucking care if you get hurt—”

“Then what is it!”

Again, silence.

I’ve always excused his lack of words because that was just who Hunter was. A guy who didn’t like explaining things to anyone, who didn’t like sharing his secrets. I respected it to an extent, but now I was confused, hurt and just downright disappointed.

I sighed, defeated. “Why can’t you just talk to me properly?”

His jaw worked back and forth as he looked anywhere but at me.

I pursed my lips, feeling the familiar sting of frustrated tears brimming in my eyes, and nodded. “Tonight was a mistake,” I whispered, and before he could stop me—if he even would—I turned and walked away.